vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

2.02.2009

Douglas in the Oval Office

Gov. Jim Douglas will shortly take a seat on a sofa or chair in the famous Oval Office to talk with President Barack Obama -- one-on-one -- about the economic stimulus package. WOW.

He was going to DC anyhow to meet with Vermont's congressional delegation about the package and to make the rounds with a few other senators, I think, to talk up the need for a stimulus package -- now -- with as few strings attached as possible. He's also giving a speech on electronic technology in health care.

Douglas is the vice chairman of the National Governors Association. He noted last week that he and most other governors, regardless of political party, support the various versions of stimulus under consideration because they could help states get out of some big troubles. Without help, states will be doing things that certainly won't help the economy, I think Douglas will point out to some fellow Republicans who serve in Congress.

Apparently the sit down with Obama didn't materialize until over the weekend. Word went out late Sunday -- with only a few minutes to spare before our deadline. Douglas met Obama in December at an NGA event and reported that Obama had told him (Douglas) he must be one heck of a politician to win re-election as a Republican in a very blue state.

Below I printed the test of the White House announcement about Obama's Monday's schedule. I love the line about "pool spray."

"President Barack Obama will attend the Presidential Daily Briefing, the Daily Economic Briefing and a meeting with senior advisors tomorrow morning in the Oval Office. These meetings are closed press. Late morning, President Obama will meet with Governor Douglas of Vermont in the Oval Office to discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. There will be a pool spray at the top of the meeting.

In the afternoon, President Obama and Vice President Biden will meet with Secretary Gates in the Oval Office. This meeting is closed press. Later, President Obama and Vice President Biden will meet with Congressional Leadership in the Roosevelt Room. This meeting is closed press."

Vt.BuZZ will update later after hearing from Douglas about his private conversation with Obama. Do they drink coffee together? Talk about the weather first? Politics? Or is it just the business at hand?

-- Nancy Remsen

posted by vt.Buzz | 10:07 AM |

Comments:

Interesting:

Republican AND Democratic Governors support Obama's plan ... but the GOP in Congress is fighting against it.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:47 AM, February 02, 2009

$350,000,000 for condoms. Now THAT will really stimulate the economy! Actually, a bill will pass and hopefully will be amended to remove most of Nancy Pelosi's idiocies. Just watched Douglas on TV - nice to hear someone from Vermont with something thoughtful to say - instead of our grandstanders "I have a subpoena, blah, blah, blah" or "it's all the fault of the rich"!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:20 PM, February 02, 2009

Funny, when Obama has a plan, it's stupid.

When Douglas speaks in support of Obama's plan, that means that Douglas is awesome.

Even though he's speaking is support of a plan that Bubba doesn't like.

What an ass.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:46 PM, February 02, 2009

The idea is OK, it's the details that are ridiculous! And it's NOT Obama's plan - he let San Fran Nan write it. How about changing it to actually stimulate the economy - tax cuts for small businesses, not make-work jobs that will expire when the job is done, nor social engineering as a reward to radical women's groups!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:02 PM, February 02, 2009

Markowitz can replace Douglass!!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:02 PM, February 02, 2009

Bubba said

Douglas = Thoughtful

This reminds me of Jumbo Shrimp

Oxymoron's are fun

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:52 PM, February 02, 2009

Bubba -

Obama took the contraceptive stuff out of the bill, so it is moot now.

Longer term, I hope Obama puts puts that funding back. Shouldn't everyone have access to contraceptives, including those who can't afford them?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:01 PM, February 02, 2009

No. If they can't keep their legs closed let them buy their own damn contraceptives. Talk about your welfare state.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:21 PM, February 02, 2009

Douglas is not a Republican just because he says he is. Actions speak louder than words. Republicans stood up against the printing, borrowing and spending that caused this problem in Congress.

This is a Republican plan and it won't cost the taxpayers a dime.

http://ewebsmith.com/finance/betterstimulus.html

# Posted by:

WebSmith | 5:07 PM, February 02, 2009

Ah, so doogie's a rino, eh? Always nice to hear from the phil gramm wing of the gop slime society.

In other words, pull a Hoover and stick with the same failed, incompetent-trash, gop-slime policies that got us into this mess in the first place.

Thanks, I'll pass. You gop scum already gave us one Depression. We don't need ya to give us another one.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 6:33 PM, February 02, 2009

JW, take your imaginary friends and go play in the street OK?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:22 PM, February 02, 2009

Always with the sweet talk, little nameless-nitwit fella. Always with the sweet talk.

You're still dumb, you're still scum and ya still got bupkis.

Stuff bubbakis up your ignorant anonymous ass sideways and set fire to it, schmuck.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:03 PM, February 02, 2009

"Stuff bubbakis up your ignorant anonymous ass sideways and set fire to it, schmuck."

I'm a married man Coop, I'm not interested in your erotic fantasies about sodomizing me as your alter ego Bubba.

I'm not an necrophiliac

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:08 PM, February 02, 2009

"GOP-slime policies that got us into this mess"? I don't know of too many (actually none) conservatives that believe in the mission of Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac, i.e. force lending institutions backed by taxpayers to lend money to people who can't possibly pay it back in order to serve some social engineering goals. Or in the CRA which was passed during the Carter years by DIMOCRATS, but never fully implemented until Bill Clinton took over! The current fad is to blame everything on Bush, but the facts tell a different story.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:51 AM, February 03, 2009

True. Facts show that Bush had no power during his presidency.

Barney Frank had it all.

Bush was paralyzed by the all mighty Barney Frank.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:32 AM, February 03, 2009

bubba said...

"I don't know of too many (actually none) conservatives that believe in the mission of Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac, i.e. force lending institutions backed by taxpayers to lend money to people who can't possibly pay it back in order to serve some social engineering goals."

Another day, another gop-slime myth to slay.

Once again, bubbakis, I hate to keep confusin' your ignorant anonymous ass with the facts but Jimmy Carter introduced the strictly-voluntary CRA over 30 years ago and, as of today, the Dems have held power of the White House and Congress for exactly two years and two months out of the past 28 years.

So, given those facts, just what has prevented the Gops from deep-sixing this strictly-voluntary program during that period? In particular, just what slowed them down during the 12 years that cluelessly-corrupt, incompetent gop-trash controlled Congress and the six years from 1/01-1/07 when they controlled all three branches of the Federal Government, their nonexistent concern for minorities and the poor and downtrodden amongst us?

Nice try, nitwit. No sale.

Even Bush's regulators claim the notion that the CRA and Fannie and Freddie are to blame for the collapse of the housing market and the most recent bush recession/depression and gop-slime economic meltdown is pure unadulterated horsebrit hume.

Get yourself a case and a clue and buy yourself a fact or two, bubbakis.

You ignorant gop trash are gonna have to come to terms with the fact that simply repeating the same steamin' pile of gop-slop nonsense over and over again won't make it come true.

You're not in Kansas anymore, little fella. Even they've got a Dem Governor, so feel free to give Howard Dean an AMEN! on that one, bubbakis.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 4:24 PM, February 03, 2009

"You gop scum already gave us one Depression. We don't need ya to give us another one."

How would an unemployed person in pajamas who never leaves the front of his keyboard in his mom's basement recognize a depression? The only depressions you know are the ever-deepening concavity in the seat of your chair and the ever-deepening emptiness in your life.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:32 PM, February 03, 2009

Terri, jw, Feb. 2, 9:03 pm:

"You're still dumb, you're still scum and ya still got bupkis.
Stuff bubbakis up your ignorant anonymous ass sideways and set fire to it, schmuck."

I'm not the guy who's been pestering you to block jw. But in light of the above, I have to ask the question: when you said several months ago that "nobody wants to block him more than me," what exactly did you mean?

Because, no disrespect, but I think your statement is demonstrably false. Obviously LOTS of people want to block him more than you do. Because if you wanted to block him badly, you would have done so already.

So why did you make the statement?

And why do you continue to make a mockery of your terms of service?

Thanks.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:19 AM, February 05, 2009

"This reminds me of Jumbo Shrimp"

Please, we told you not to mention food around jw.

Or were you talking ABOUT jw when you said jumbo shrimp?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:03 PM, February 06, 2009

Anonymous
"This reminds me of Jumbo Shrimp"

Please, we told you not to mention food around jw.

Or were you talking ABOUT jw when you said jumbo shrimp?"

Gee, the left side of your ignorant anonymous ass is conversin' with the right.

That's adorable.

Ya really should get both cheeks on the same page, little nameless-nitwit fella.

Always a pleasure.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 11:54 PM, February 06, 2009

Morbidly obese people probably shouldn't be talking about "cheeks," big stupid sad fella.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:41 PM, February 07, 2009